Great doughnuts, good coffee, and cozy ambiance — it's no wonder why Top Pot is such a destination. If you ever find yourself in the Pacific Northwest, do yourself a favor and pop in for an old-fashioned or a maple bar.
And the flagship location, at least, has tons of seating. It's a good place to relax a little while you're downtown.
Some of the bookshelves hide merch, too, if you're a tourist like me and want to bring some Seattle home with you.
This flagship location also has a poster commemorating President Barack Obama's visit in 2010. It's something they're very proud of.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip Ad...with bookshelves lining every wall. It's kind of cool, and makes it feel more cozy than your average Starbucks.
Anyway, with our donut craving settled, we can take a closer look at our environs. It has kind of a "library" vibe...
The donuts are super fresh, too: If you peek in the back, you can see the facilities where they make the donuts, which then get sent to some of the more remote stores in Portland and Dallas.
The coffee is fine. Pretty much just standard donut shop coffee. Good, but nothing to write home about. Except, I guess that's what I'm doing, so, you know.
The lemon glaze is nice and tangy, without overshadowing the cake flavor. It's pretty boss.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdThe cake is nice and firm, and the glaze is sweet without being too cloying.
And...they're really good!
I went with a lemon-glazed and a classic-glazed old fashioned, at the advice of the cashier. Plus a cup of coffee to wash it down. This little spread cost me a little over $6, all in.
They also make some more savory pastries, too, if that's what you're into.
Here's a closer look at the good stuff, courtesy of the store's Instagram.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdOh yeah. That's the stuff. Top Pot specializes in perfecting old classics — it's less about crazy toppings and weird flavor combinations, and more about making the best darn apple fritters, old fashioned, and cake donuts possible.
The store has a vibe like an upscale Starbucks. But that's not what we're here for. Enhance.
There are currently 21 Top Pot locations, mostly in and around Seattle (with a few in Texas). This is the flagship location, not too far from Amazon's headquarters in downtown Seattle.
Top Pot was founded in 2002 by brothers Mark and Michael Klebeck. Here's the story of how the chain got its name, from the website:
"Years earlier, two of our co-founders spied a vintage rustic (and rusty) neon sign gleaming above a boarded-up Chinese restaurant called 'Topspot'. They bought the sign, and then left it idle in a backyard for four years, further rusting and creating a home for raccoons. Then, when the sign was finally driven off to be restored, the center 'S' fell off, leaving the words 'Top Pot' behind."